County schools seek $519 million budget city, $582 million BALTIMORE

January 24, 1992|By Robert Hilson Jr.

In two editions of The Sun yesterday, the per-student increase in Baltimore School Superintendent Walter G. Amprey's proposed budget was reported to be about $13. That amount would be the increase for classroom supplies. The total increase per student would be about $223.

The Sun regrets the errors.

Baltimore School Superintendent Walter G. Amprey proposed $581.5 million budget last night for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that calls for spending about $13 more per student. The proposal amounts to an increase of $37.1 million -- or 6.8 percent -- over this year's budget.

It allows for staffing of kindergarten programs that were mandated by the General Assembly last year.

The programs are to begin in September.

While the superintendent's new budget does not include layoffs, it lops more than $1.6 million off administrative costs by reducing central office staff to the "right size," Mr. Amprey said.

FOR THE RECORD - CORRECTION

Another $1.3 million was cut by eliminating several non-mandated bus routes and by contracting out some janitorial work.

The proposed budget for the 110,000-student district is subject to approval by the school board and, in June, the City Council.

The school board will hold a public hearing on the budget Feb. 6 at its headquarters at North Avenue and Calvert Street.

The proposed budget, Mr. Amprey's first as superintendent, comes at a time when the city and state are hard-pressed to meet what they consider their budgetary needs.

"This is a very tenuous budget year," Mr. Amprey said.

"It's hard to put in a 1993 budget while still trying to grapple with the 1992 budget," he said.

However, Mr. Amprey said his proposal would provide the "framework for the revitalization" of Baltimore schools.

Under this budget, the amount spent per pupil would increase from the current $29.50 to $42.50.

The budget proposes more than $1.4 million for the mandatory kindergarten programs. The whole sum is expected to

come from the state, said Deputy Superintendent Patsy Blackshear.

"If the funds are not provided, then we have a major problem," she said.

School officials estimate kindergarten enrollment will rise to 1,843 pupils.

One of the goals of the kindergarten program is to increase the readiness of students "to learn by providing a comprehensive and integrated early childhood instructional program," Mr. Amprey said.

The superintendent's proposed budget envisions an additional 93 teaching positions to provide for an estimated increased enrollment of students from the first through the 12th grade, and would maintain the current student-to-teacher ratio.